A NOTORIOUS sex offender, who was locked up for the attempted rape child, sexually assaulted a female prison officer in his cell.

James Murison, 59, was jailed in 2007 after forcing a 14-year-old paper girl into his house while she was on her rounds, tying her wrists and ankles with ribbon, and sexually assaulting her until police, alerted by neighbours who heard her screams, arrived at his house in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, to free her.

Last Wednesday, February 9, Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that the assault on the 58-year-old woman officer occurred at top security HMP Glenochil in February, 2021, after three incidents of Murison "parading naked" around the jail.

The court was told that on November 3, 2020, Murison had emerged naked from the showers in HMP Glenochil in front of seven prison officers.

Prosecutor Katie Cunningham said he walked out naked into the communal recreation area and was told to cover up, but replied that he "didn't give a f**k" and continued to walk around naked, ignoring guards and a proffered towel, and had to be escorted back to his cell.

A few days later he repeated his behaviour, wandering naked around the recreation area until he was covered with a towel by guards and put into his cell again.

He was punished by the jail governor, but around 9.45am on November 18, 2020, he again came out of the shower, wandered round the recreation area naked, and then walked up to the staff desk and stood with his hands on his hips, looking towards two female guards.

He was again covered and put back in his cell.

Miss Cunningham said: "When asked about his actions, he said he had been behaving in such a manner as he wanted to go to [the state hospital] Carstairs."

On February 15, 2021, he was being visited in his cell in Glenochil Prison's Abercrombie Hall by two members of prison staff after he had been again refusing to put clothes on.

He eventually did get dressed, and sat on his bed while a 58-year-old female guard stood in front of him and another officer stood at the door.

Miss Cunningham said: "He spoke about committing suicide and the conversation continued this way for about five minutes.

"Then he unexpectedly stood up from the bed, lunged forward, and grabbed [the officer's] vagina over her trousers."

The other officer immediately grabbed him and restrained him on the bed, while the female officer, said to be "in shock", stepped back and pressed her alarm.

Murison was restrained by several officers, and escorted to the segregation unit.

Due to his "continued disregard for the rules and continued offences against staff" he was then moved to Saughton Prison, Edinburgh.

There, on May 10, 2021, he again left the showers naked and was told to cover up.

Miss Cunningham said: "He refused to comply and began walking along the corridor towards [three woman officers] and began to masturbate in their direction while looking at them and smirking."

He was escorted to his cell, and police were called in.

Appearing by video link, Murison pleaded guilty to sexual assault, statutory breach of the peace, and causing others to be present while engaging in sexual activity.

Defence solicitor John Hardie said Murison had been jailed for eight years in 2007 plus an eight-year extension, and even without a further sentence for his latest crimes will have served "the full 16 years" before being due for release.

He said: "He has been at liberty for only two weeks, in 2014, before he was recalled to the extended part of the sentence.

"The circumstances of the recall are that he walked into a police station wearing a coat that was marked on the back 'Property of HMP Peterhead'.

"He said he had been given it on his release, but he was charged with the theft of that coat. While protesting his innocence, he was charged with breach of the peace.

"No proceedings were taken, but he was returned to custody and has been there ever since."

Of the latest offences, Mr Hardie said: "He is of the view that he wasn't in his right mind at the time of them."

Sheriff Simon Collins QC said it was "inevitable" that a custodial sentence consecutive of Murison's current sentence would have to be imposed.

He deferred sentence, however, until March 9 for a social work report into the possibility of an eventual supervised release order.